


Mission Complete

by Captain_Lilja, captainkallus



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hera's done with these idiots, Kallus has a soft spot for droids, M/M, and Zeb, art included, but he's not going to say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29656923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Lilja/pseuds/Captain_Lilja, https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainkallus/pseuds/captainkallus
Summary: With a shout of pain, he jumped backwards but landed poorly on the injured leg (now aching in multiple places). Another yelp left his mouth as he started to fall backwards, tensing as he expected to collide with the floor.However, strong but soft arms caught him, holding him tight.---Kallus brings a damaged MSE droid back to Yavin to repair, reflects on his life, and falls even further for Zeb.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 25
Kudos: 70
Collections: Kalluzeb Mini-Bang 2021





	Mission Complete

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for the Kalluzeb Mini Bang. Fic by Captain Lilja and artwork by captainkallus.
> 
> Come visit us!  
> Captain Lilja: [Tumblr](https://captainlilja.tumblr.com/)  
> captainkallus: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/captainkallus?lang=en)

Kallus hadn’t planned on taking the droid with him. It was just that the longer he sat at the computer console in the now Imperial-free ship with the inert droid just in the corner of his gaze, the more he thought about it. He didn’t have any particular feelings towards droids--they were efficient and practical and only occasionally nuisances--but he did find the violence toward a completely helpless MSE droid to be especially unnecessary.

So, without really thinking about it, once the data he needed was all downloaded and it was time to return to the ship, Kallus scooped the small, silent droid into his arms and took it with him.

On the way back to Yavin, he took some time to examine the droid and the amount of damage the blaster bolt had caused it. There was a good sized hole in the casing that had melted some of the components inside. The power circuits were clearly fried and there was damage to the back wheels. It was a rightful mess, but Kallus decided he was going to try and fix it. He’d been encouraged to have more hobbies outside of his work with the intelligence division and this seemed like a good project.

He took the mild teasing from his companions with a shrug and an admission that he’d felt bad for the droid. He could tell none of them were truly giving him a hard time--at least after he’d reassured them that the droid didn’t have any kind of tracking beacon in it. He understood there was still some suspicion toward him and he accepted those occasional glances. He’d been an Imperial not that long ago and was content to keep working to gain the trust of those he now served besides. 

They arrived back on Yavin late in the day, the sun already sinking beyond the forest. Tired from the long journey and limited sleep that a crowded ship allowed, Kallus didn’t even have it in him to start looking through the data files they’d successfully retrieved. Instead, he left the data with the techs on duty and headed straight for his quarters.

There was a small table in the room that Kallus frequently worked at in the evenings after his shift and, with a little organizing, was plenty big to set the MSE droid on. 

He fell asleep that evening, gazing on the blaster hole, wondering if the Empire really did destroy everything it touched and if he would ever really be whole either.

Two busy days passed as Kallus and his team worked on the data he’d brought back from the Imperial ship. The long hours meant that he did not have a chance to work on the droid as soon as he had hoped. However, when his official shift came to an end and he realized they were at a good stopping point, he shut his station down for the day and retreated to his quarters.

The droid was exactly where he’d left it, dark and silent. He sighed as he stared at it, wondering where to even start with repairs. Retrieving a datapad, he sat in one of the chairs and brought up any plans and diagrams he could find on the MSE line, hoping for inspiration and some encouragement that this wasn’t a futile project.

Perhaps an hour in, Kallus was drawn from his examination of a blueprint by a knock on his door. He couldn’t help a frown. He very rarely got visitors and the one he did occasionally get was on assignment at the moment.

Opening the door, Kallus quickly discovered his assumption was wrong. There was the Lasat taking up most of the doorway. “Zeb? What brings you here? I didn’t realize you were back on base.”

“Hera and I got back early this morning.” Zeb gave a nervous scratch of his neck. “I went by your office to say hello but they said you’d already left for the day. Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You practically live at your desk. Have you ever left early before?”

Kallus considered it a moment. “I suppose you have a point. But everything is fine. I just have a… pet project… I wanted to work on.”

“What is it?” Zeb asked curiously, glancing behind Kallus.

After a quick internal debate, he stepped out of the way and motioned Zeb in. “I’ll show you. Come on.” He led the way over to the table. “I brought it back from my mission to the destroyer the other day.”

“A mouse droid? Is it repairable? It looks in pretty rough shape.”

“I’m not sure.” Kallus admitted. “I’ve reprogrammed them in the past but never rebuilt one. I’m not sure if I can fix it, but I’m going to try.”

Zeb grinned. “Tough ex-ISB agent has a soft spot for a mouse droid…”

“They are useful little droids. And… well, fine… I felt bad for it. It didn’t deserve what the Imperials did to it. I want to at least try to fix it.”

The Lasat’s grin turned fond. “Now you really sound like a rebel.”

“There are worse things.” Kallus replied simply.

“Can I help?”

“Help?”

“Help you fix it?” Zeb asked. “I mean, I know I’m not the best at careful work…” He wiggled his big fingers in demonstration. “But I can be helpful. Somehow. Keep you company at least.”

Kallus processed that for a moment--that Zeb wanted to spend time with him, help him with something he cared about. “Sure. I’d like that. Thank you.”

“So? Where do we start?”

They worked on the droid for a couple hours, mostly successful in getting it fully dismantled and starting an inventory of the parts that would be replaced versus repaired. Taking a break for dinner, they sat in the mess hall and chatted about their latest missions, how Hera was handling her latest stage of pregnancy (apparently with an increase in swearing), and some of the general going-ons around the base.

Kallus realized he’d missed spending time with Zeb. In the five months since their liberation of Lothal, they hadn’t spent a lot of time on-base together. Kallus understood that there was work to be done and that Hera was depending on Zeb more than ever, but he still missed being around the Lasat. He certainly knew that he had feelings for the other man but was careful to keep them tucked away. He liked Zeb’s company and their friendship, which was still feeling its way out as well, was more important than anything else. Kallus wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize the relationship they’d built to this point.

After dinner, they returned to Kallus’ room and continued to fumble their way through the repair of the droid. Neither exactly knew what they were doing, but at least they had each other to shrug at when faced with a question.

For the next week, they fell into a routine of working on the droid after their duties were over and before dinner. They frequently returned to the repair work for a couple hours after their meal as well. It was the most time they had spent together and Kallus found he enjoyed every minute. Most of it was because Zeb could be funny and sarcastic but also incredibly gentle and kind. As he had pointed out, Lasats were not made for delicate work so some of the tasks were virtually impossible for him to do, but he always handled the droid with care and great respect. Zeb also proved to be much better at convincing the quartermaster to part with needed pieces than Kallus was. Kallus wasn’t sure how that was the case, but Zeb always returned with what he set out to get.

By the end of the week, the droid’s case had been repaired, all the internal mechanisms had been rebuilt, and Kallus was just about finished with the programming to be installed. He was pleased with the work they’d done and how quickly they’d been able to achieve it.

When, two days later, the programming was ready to go, Zeb was already in his quarters, leaning back in a chair to stare at the ceiling, when Kallus finished the last line of code.

“That’s it.” Kallus announced, setting down his datapad. “Once this is fully uploaded, we’ll be able to power it on and see if we did it right or not.” 

Zeb sat up properly and eyed the droid on the table between them. “If we didn’t?”

“I’m not sure. Try again?”

The Lasat made a thoughtful noise. “What kind of programming does a droid like this have? It’s not going to be like Chopper, is it?”

“No, fortunately. I don’t think the universe could handle another Chopper. Most MSE droid programming is pretty basic. They’re designed to follow one order at a time. I have modified this one’s programming quite a bit. Some of it is actually astromech coding. It should behave with a little more independence and personality than a normal MSE. Better communication coding as well.”

“You gave it a personality?”

“The ability to develop a personality. That will come with time and experience. All its memory files were lost so when we power it on, it’ll be a droid waking up for the very first time.” Kallus explained. “Assuming it powers on.”

“How soon can we find out?” Zeb asked eagerly. “I want to see it up and going.”

“Now, I suppose. No reason to wait. Ready?”

“Ready.”

Kallus raised the little droid up to hit the power switch on its underside and then set it back on the table. There was a moment where nothing happened and he felt his heart sink. Then, slowly, lights came on and the sound of motors began to whir.

The droid shifted back and forth a little before giving a series of beeps.

< _Greetings_ >

“Hello there.” Kallus laughed, feeling a little giddy with excitement. “Everything running properly?”

The droid seemed to consider the question. 

< _All systems functioning within acceptable parameters_ >

“Seems like we did it.” Zeb commented.

“Seems so.” Kallus agreed with a nod. 

The droid moved in a small circle, seeming to study them both.

< _Query: designations?_ >

“I’m Kallus. That’s Zeb.” He motioned to himself and then the Lasat. “We put you back together. You were badly damaged.”

< _Kallus. Zeb. Thank you for repairing me. Query: my designation?_ >

“Well, your official designation was MSE-243M, but that’s not really a name. I suppose we need to find a name for you…”

“MSE…” Zeb mused. “How about Missy?”

< _Missy_ >

Kallus considered it. “What do you think of it?”

< _Approved. Designation: Missy._ >

“Missy, it is then.” Zeb nodded, looking proud of himself. 

“Here.” Kallus picked the newly dubbed Missy off the table and set her on the floor. “Go move around a little. Let me know if anything isn’t quite right.”

The little droid rolled around the room for several minutes, exploring into corners (nearly getting stuck more than once), under the bed, and around their chairs. Finally it came to a stop at Kallus’ feet.

The droid gave a series of beeps. 

< _Wobbly back wheel_ >

“I noticed.” Kallus nodded. The back right wheel had wobbled as the droid moved, preventing it from going in a perfectly straight line. “Your back axle was bent. We fixed it the best we could, but we don’t have any replacements. I can’t do anything about that wobble, I’m afraid. However, if it makes you feel better, I have a leg that’s not quite right either. We make a good pair.” He patted his leg where the injury on Bahryn had never fully healed properly. It didn’t bother him often but when it did, it left him limping slightly.

< _Kallus wobbly too. Missy understands._ >

Glancing over at Zeb, he found the Lasat watching him with a slightly sad but also fond expression. Seeing he’d been caught, Zeb gave a shrug. “You are a good pair. Ex-Imperials, fighting for the rebellion.”

< _Query: rebellion?_ >

“It’s a long story. You’re in a rebellion base. We’re fighting against people called the Empire. They were the ones who hurt you.” Kallus explained. “No one’s going to hurt you here. You’re safe.”

< _Safe with Kallus and Zeb_ >

“Yes.” Kallus glanced at Zeb, who was watching the droid. “You’re safe with us.”

Missy gave a series of pleased chirps and nudged against Kallus’ ankle.

“She needs a paint job.” Zeb stated. “She looks too Imperial.”

“If only Sabine were here.”

“Yeah. She’d enjoy this. But we can manage, right? We got Missy up and running, we can give her a new coat of paint.”

“Sure. Why not.”

Zeb stood. “Tomorrow? Before dinner?”

“That sounds good.” Kallus nodded.

“See you then.” He patted Kallus’ shoulder as he walked by. “Good night, Kal. Good night, Missy.”

“Good night.”

< _Good night_ >

Once the Lasat was gone, Kallus found himself staring down at the droid at his feet. Without really thinking about it, he reached down and patted Missy on the back. “Make yourself at home.”

< _Home_ >

“Yes.” Kallus considered it a moment. He hadn’t noticed the point he started thinking about the Rebellion, about Yavin as being a home, but now that he said it, there was no going back. This place, these people, were the closest thing to a family, a home he’d had in a long time. He couldn’t help but smile. “It’s home.”

Missy nudged against his ankle, wiggling a little--like a happy loth-cat. 

< _Home with Kallus_ >

  
  


The next morning, waking to find Missy pacing small circles at the end of his bed, Kallus debated his day briefly. He hated the idea of leaving Missy alone in the room, but he also wasn’t exactly sure about the protocol on new droids. He got the impression no one really cared as long the droids weren’t causing too much trouble. After all, Andor walked around with his Imperial K2 unit at his heels and no one complained (to Cassian’s face at least; Kallus was sure he wasn’t the only one that was frequently unsettled to come around a corner and find K2-SO staring at him).

“Want to come with me or stay here?” He asked the droid after a moment of consideration. He figured he might as well let Missy make some of her own decisions.

< _Go with Kallus_ >

“Alright. Sounds good.” He reached down and patted her briefly before wandering his way to the refresher. He paused at the threshold, realizing Missy was trailing after him. “You better stay here for the moment. I won’t be in here long. Don’t want to risk you getting wet.”

< _Understood. Missy will wait here for Kallus._ >

Unsurprisingly, the little droid was exactly where he’d left her when he emerged from the refresher, showered and dressed. He retrieved a few items and then moved to the door. He looked down to Missy. 

“Ready?”

< _Missy will go with Kallus_ >

Kallus figured that was the droid’s way of saying ‘no but I’m coming anyway’. He understood the sentiment. He’d felt that way when he’d first arrived on Yavin. He’d stayed pretty close to any of the Ghost team that he could, needing that little bit of familiarity in a very strange and new world--one that he knew he wasn’t exactly welcomed in. He’d never really be able to repay the kindness Kanan, Hera, or Zeb had shown him in those difficult first few weeks. They’d been dealing with their own issues and concerns and Kallus was grateful they hadn’t just abandoned him to his own devices.

Moving out of his room and starting down the hall, Kallus couldn’t help a sigh at the thought of Kanan and Ezra. He had grown to like both Jedi and he certainly knew the Rebellion would never be the same without them, if not for the simple fact that Hera was never going to be the same. He admired the Twi’lek greatly and although she always appeared strong and in control, he could only imagine how deeply she was hurting. Kallus suspected the child she carried, Kanan’s child, was a reminder--both good and bad--every minute of every day.

At his feet, Missy chirped.

< _Query: sad?_ >

He glanced down at the droid. “I was just thinking about some people we lost. I guess it does make me a little sad.”

< _Query: how were they lost?_ >

“Perhaps that was a bad way of phrasing it. They died.”

< _Query: they could not be reactivated?_ >

“No. Unfortunately, not.” Kallus replied. He still wasn’t entirely sure where Ezra might have ended up, but trapped on a ship with Thrawn while being dragged through hyperspace by purgil? The ending hardly seemed like it could be positive.

< _Query: they were friends of Kallus?_ >

“Yeah. They were.”

Missy didn’t reply but brushed herself up against his ankle.

He couldn’t help but smile. Not even a day and the little droid had wormed her way into his heart. A heart that had been so closed off and cold for so long. Now, he had friends, a place he called home, and a hope--hope he never thought he was capable of having--for a better future.

The day passed quietly and quickly enough. Missy mostly kept herself tucked under his chair, watching the activity around the small office. An occasional droid from one of the data techs or other intelligence officers would come over and have a rapid chat with her, but she didn’t go far. Kallus got the feeling she was nervous, a very little droid in a big world. He sympathized and didn’t mind that she stuck close to his heels wherever he went, even if it was just the few steps to the caf machine and back.

At the end of his shift, Kallus shut down his station and nudged Missy lightly with his foot.

“Time to go.” He stated. “Let’s go find Zeb and get you a new paint job. Sound good?”

Missy nudged him back.

< _Good_ >

With her at his heels, Kallus headed out of the intelligence offices, stopping abruptly in surprise as he found Zeb waiting. Missy chirped but managed to avoid hitting his foot.

“Hiya, Kal.” Zeb gave a small smile. 

“Zeb.” Kallus gave a nod of greeting. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I figured we’d meet at the workshop.”

“I know but I was done with things a little early and thought I’d come wait here. That okay?”

“Of course.”

Zeb looked over at Missy. “How was your first official day in the Rebellion?”

< _Rebellion is big. Lots of things are happening. Very exciting._ >

“And a little overwhelming, I suspect.” Kallus added. “She spent most of the day under my desk. Not that I’m complaining. I like the company.”

“Now we just need to make her look more like a rebel.” Zeb grinned. His arm draped over Kallus’ shoulder as they started walking. “I got us some space in the workshop to paint.”

“How is it that you get anything you ask for?”

“I guess I’m just likable.”

Kallus merely huffed. “Far more than me.”

“They just don’t know you yet.”

Unsure what to make of that comment, Kallus said nothing. They remained quiet the rest of the way through the main hanger and over to the large space used for storage and workshop benches. There were a few other people scattered around, some repairing droids, a few working on communications devices, and others rebuilding ship parts. There was a quiet hum of voices and someone on the far side had music playing softly.

Zeb led them over to an empty bench and carefully lifted Missy up on it. “So… what colors are we thinking…?”

“I’m not sure. Nothing too showy. Not orange.” Kallus replied.

“Don’t want her to look like Chopper?”

“Not really.”

“Let’s go look at options then.” Zeb nodded to a precariously full set of shelving of paint. He patted Missy on the back. “We’ll be right back. You stay put.”

< _Missy will stay_ >

Kallus gave her a pat as well before following Zeb over to the shelves. He eyed the various colors--some only labeled, some obvious because of the way they dripped around their containers. He recognized some of the typical colors the Rebellion used but had no idea why some of the others would be around the base. He’d never see that particular shade of pink anywhere and vaguely wondered if some of Sabine’s paint had gotten mixed in. 

After some consideration, he carefully removed a dark green from the shelf, trying not to disturbed the balance of the cans around it.

“What do you think?” He showed it to Zeb.

“I like it. Green’s a good color for you.” Zeb nodded approvingly.

Kallus hoped his blush didn’t show. He wasn’t going to admit he’d picked it because it reminded him of one of Zeb’s jumpsuits--the one that looked really good on him.

If Zeb noticed his reaction, he didn’t show it. “How about some details?” He picked up a can of gold paint. 

“What’d you have in mind?”

“Dunno. One color just seems boring. Missy shouldn’t be boring.”

Nodding, Kallus also selected a deep purple from the shelf. “We’ll figure something out.”

Missy greeted them with a happy chirp as they returned to the bench and set up the paints. Once she’d given her approval, they set to it. Rather badly.

Kallus had never really appreciated how easy Sabine made her paintings look. Only now did he really understand the artistry that went into even her simplest design. They were just trying to paint one color--the dark green--and not doing very well. He was starting to get a little frustrated when he heard Zeb laughing.

“What?” He turned to the Lasat, torn between annoyed and curious.

“We’re making a mess.” Zeb held up his hands to show the paint streaks on them. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to get this out of fur?”

“No. Can’t say I do.”

There was a moment where Zeb just stared at him, clearly plotting. Kallus could have moved away, he saw it coming, but didn’t. The result was a messy Lasat hand patting against his cheek--no doubt leaving paint in his facial hair.

“There. Now we’re both stuck cleaning.” Zeb stated proudly before returning his attention to Missy. 

Kallus, feeling unusually playful and glad for the distraction from their questionable workmanship, reached over and left a spot of green on Zeb’s nose. Retaliation came in the form of a streak across his forehead, no doubt getting into his hair.

For the first time in a while, Kallus found himself laughing. They gently shoved each other, not caring if they were getting more paint on themselves than Missy, and gave idle threats of what they’d do if the other dared to get them messier.

It wasn’t until he found himself right in Zeb’s space, their sides pressed close, that he realized how much contact they were making. Immediately worried that he’d gone too far, he shifted away and kept his attention on Missy. 

They had, eventually, gotten a good coat of the green paint on her and she did look much better. But he did agree that it was a little boring looking.

“Now what?” Zeb asked, also moving a little to give them some space apart. “What were you thinking with the purple?”

“A stripe? One in the gold too.”

A little embarrassed, Kallus didn’t look at Zeb. He didn’t want to find himself admitting he’d gone with the gold and the purple because it made him think of himself and Zeb. He didn’t want to say that he liked the idea of thinking about Zeb everytime he looked at Missy. That was too much and he’d already pushed things as it was.

“Okay.” Zeb merely nodded, still focused on the paint. “How do we do that?”

“No clue. But it’s probably going to be messy.”

His prediction ended up being accurate. Even though they weren’t purposefully adding to the splotches of paint on one another, they still ended up with their own share of gold and purple stains. In the end, however, Kallus didn’t mind.

Missy no longer looked like a standard, Imperial droid. She was dark green with two stripes running across her ‘back,’ stretching from side to side. The larger stripe was gold and then followed by a thinner stripe in the dark purple. Kallus knew it wasn’t high art but he liked it.

“Not bad.” He commented as he set Missy back on the floor. “Certainly an improvement.”

“She’ll be the envy of the astromechs.” Zeb chuckled. “Everyone will be jealous of the well-painted droid.”

Missy did a little spin, chirping excitedly.

“She seems to approve.” Kallus watched the droid zip around the workshop, that wobbly wheel making her look a little intoxicated, and then return to them. “We should clean up our mess and go show her off to the base.”

“Sounds good.” Zeb nodded.

It didn’t take them long to get the paint put away and the worst of the spills off the workbench. Missy stayed at their feet, burbling cheerfully. She was the first out of the workshop but quickly came scurrying back and chose to follow behind them.

Kallus quickly realized the reason--Hera and Chopper were just outside the doorway. The general looked up from the datapad she’d been studying and frowned.

“What happened to you two?” Hera glanced between them, looking both amused and concerned. At her feet, Chopper appeared to size up Missy, who promptly hid further behind Zeb’s legs.

“We were attempting to paint.” Kallus explained. “We aren’t very good at it.”

“Clearly.”

“It came out okay in the end.” Zeb protested. He moved a little and nudged Missy forward with a gentle foot. “It’s okay. Come on out. Chop’s not gonna hurt you. Right, Chopper?”

Chopper warbled back something along the lines of ‘probably not.’ 

Hera smiled fondly as she watched the little droid pace between Kallus and Zeb. “I think Sabine would have a few critiques but I like it. What’s its name?”

“Missy.” Kallus stated. 

“Hello there, Missy.” Hera crouched and offered out a hand, palm up. “It’s okay. I’m a friend. No one here will hurt you.”

Missy crept a little closer to the Twi’lek, beeping uncertainly. 

< _Query: friend?_ >

“Go on.” Kallus nodded. “General Syndulla is a friend. You can trust her. And listen to her. She gives us orders.”

< _Understood_ >

Missy closed the distance and nudged against Hera’s hand. 

< _Hello, General_ >

Hera laughed and patted Missy. “Hello. Nice to meet you.”

Chopper grumbled something and waved a pincer at the littler droid, sending Missy skittering behind Hera.

“Chopper!” Hera scolded. “None of that. Be nice.”

With a definitive ‘no’, Chopper turned and rolled off across the bay.

Sighing, Hera straightened. She stretched her back a little with a soft groan.

“Are you alright?” Kallus asked. He had no framework for what a Twi’lek would be experiencing six months into a pregnancy.

“Yeah.” She waved the question off. “Just… everything aches. I’ll be fine. I have no reason to complain.”

“You can if you want.” Zeb replied. “We’ll be supportive and all. Anything you need.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll keep it in mind. For now, though, just…” She paused, watching them with an intensity that always unsettled Kallus. Something sad flickered across her expression before she finally finished her thought. “Take good care of Missy. Droids can be very special.”

“Of course.” Kallus nodded. He wondered what she had been thinking about in those few moments but knew better than to ask.

With a smile and a nod, Hera turned and followed off in the general direction Chopper had gone. Missy, now without the general to hide behind, hurried over to Kallus and circled his feet with nervous little chirps.

Kallus looked from the droid to Zeb, who just shrugged in response. He had a feeling he’d missed something but couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

“We should go get cleaned up.” Kallus commented, realizing they both still had paint all over them.

“Yeah, probably good.” Zeb chuckled. “See you for dinner a little later?”

“Sure. That sounds good.”

“See ya later then, Kal.”

Kallus watched the Lasat wander off, noticing there was even paint on the back of his jumpsuit. He wasn’t really sure how they’d gotten that there, but it made him smile nonetheless.

Missy nudged his ankle and chirped curiously.

< _Query: Zeb is a friend?_ >

He couldn’t explain why, but Kallus felt himself flush a little at the simple question. “Yes. Zeb is a good friend.” 

< _Good friend. Query: meaning?_ >

He stared down at the droid. He had no quick answer. He couldn’t explain his feelings for Zeb to himself and certainly not to a curious droid. 

< _Query: meaning?_ >

“He’s someone I trust completely.” Kallus finally answered. “More than anyone else.”

The droid seemed to process that a moment before beeping back.

< _Kallus is a good friend to Missy_ >

He couldn’t help a small smile. “That means a lot to me.” He nudged the droid gently. “Come on. I need to go wash the paint off of me.”

Giving one last glance back in the direction Zeb had gone, Kallus headed for his quarters with thoughts drifting back to his good friend.

Over the next week, Kallus fell into his new routine with Missy at his feet. It wasn’t long before she was far less skittish out in the base and had even begun venturing on her own (although always within sight of Kallus) to explore further, even making friends with a few of the other droids. In the evenings, as Kallus was drifting on the edge of sleep, he could hear her beeping softly at the foot of the bed. She wasn’t saying words, necessarily, but seemed to be almost be singing to herself, which charmed Kallus greatly.

He liked her company, the personality that she was developing, but he was also greatly disappointed that Zeb hadn’t come around since the night they’d painted her. He’d grown used to the Lasat stopping by his quarters every day and he found he missed that. Kallus knew that he could go and find Zeb and ask to spend time with him, but he hesitated. He didn’t want to seem clingy or needy. What if Zeb was tired of being around him after all those nights working on Missy? He certainly didn’t want to wear out his welcome.

So he fell back into his old habits of working late, grabbing something to eat to take back to his room, and pointedly not thinking about how much he wanted to be around Zeb. Missy’s company at least made it all seem a little less lonely. Besides, people seemed less intimidated by him when he was with Missy--he’d actually been smiled at and greeted by people he didn’t know while walking through the base. He could always learn to make new friends if Zeb decided to keep his distance.

Kallus nearly laughed out loud at that thought as he crossed through the hanger one evening. He’d had about two friends in his life and now did not seem like a particularly great time to start wanting more.

Glancing around for Missy in the bustling space, he finally spotted the droid near a grouping of A-wings. Kallus recognized the ships as some of the ones Hera often commanded and then realized the woman in question was there as well. She was crouched down, speaking to Missy. After a moment, she patted the droid affectionately and rose. Seeming to sense Kallus’ presence (he’d always wondered if she too was Force-sensitive) she turned toward him and fixed him with a look that made him pause. After a moment, she gave him a nod and then headed off between the ships.

Missy sped over to Kallus, greeting him with a bump on his ankle and a happy chirp.

“What were you talking to Hera about?” Kallus asked, curious about the Twi’lek’s behavior.

< _Classified_ >

“That so?”

< _Affirmative. Cannot repeat._ >

“Alright then. Ready to head to the room?”

< _It is time for Kallus to rest. You do not power down enough. Your performance will be impacted if you do not power down earlier._ >

“You’ve been spending time with the medical droids.” Kallus chuckled. “I know what I can handle. I’m fine.”

< _Missy wants Kallus to be happy and healthy. Missy will remind him to power down more. Kallus is important to Missy._ >

He paused and knelt down next to the droid. “You’re important to me too. If it makes you feel better, I will try to get more sleep. Okay?”

< _Satisfactory_ >

  
  


Returning to his room and going about his normal evening activities, Kallus didn’t think much more about Hera’s reaction in the hanger. He kept his word to Missy and settled into his bunk earlier than normal and enjoyed falling asleep to Missy’s quiet burbling.

The morning too seemed normal at first. However, coming out of the refresher, dressed and ready to go, he found Missy was not waiting in her usual spot but was beeping unhappily and bumping into the door over and over.

“What are you doing? Is something wrong?” He asked.

< _Open please. Need to leave._ >

“Leave. Why?”

< _Must go_ >

“Go where?” Kallus moved to the door but didn’t open it, baffled by the droid’s behavior.

Missy chirped back and continued to butt against the door. 

< _Special mission. Orders of General Syndulla. Top secret._ >

“Top secret? From Hera?” He frowned. He knew Hera’s fondness for Chopper and how protective she was of him. He couldn’t imagine her reprogramming his droid. “What do you mean? I need to know more.”

< _Top secret. Please open. Special mission._ >

With a sigh, deciding the only way he was going to get answers was to follow along, Kallus opened the door. Missy took off immediately, wiggling her way down the hallway with great urgency.

“Hang on!” Kallus protested the pace, giving chase. He hadn’t seen outside yet today but he could tell it was raining (which it often did) by the way his old injury ached with every step. Despite his discomfort he still hurried after the droid. 

He barely noticed the odd looks he received from those he ran past, mostly focused on where Missy was going in the labyrinth of passages. Others, however, barely blinked. An out of control droid was hardly the weirdest thing to happen around the Rebellion.

Missy finally skidded to a stop in one of the cargo bays and idled in place with little nervous movements.

“What are we doing here?” Kallus asked the droid, wincing a little at the ache in his leg. 

“Kal?” Zeb’s voice growled from behind him. “What’s wrong? You looked like you have a loth-wolf chasing you.”

Turning, Kallus found the Lasat frowning at him. A cart with several crates on it hovered nearby.

“I’m not quite sure what is going on. Missy is insisting she has a top secret mission from Hera. I followed her, but I’m not sure why she came here.”

The droid in question just continued to rock back and forth with little movements.

< _Top secret_ >

“Yes, so you’ve said. Why here?” Kallus sighed.

Missy went still. Even without traditional eyes, Kallus got the feeling he was being stared down. He took a step toward Zeb.

“I’m not sure what is happening, but I’m not sure I like it.”

“I do feel like we’re being sized up.” Zeb agreed. “You sure you got all the Imp programming out of her?”

“Yes. Whatever this is, it’s Hera’s doing.”

“Not sure that makes me feel better.”

Suddenly, Missy rushed forward and rammed into Kallus’ leg--the already aching one--with far more force than he thought the droid could be capable of. With a shout of pain, he jumped backwards but landed poorly on the injured leg (now aching in multiple places). Another yelp left his mouth as he started to fall backwards, tensing as he expected to collide with the floor.

However, strong but soft arms caught him, holding him tight.

Kallus blinked up at Zeb, whose face was close, so much closer than it had any reason to be. He could see the variation in the colors of the fur on his cheeks, the velvet-like texture of his nose, and every little twitch in the expressive ears. And his eyes, big and questioning, as they searched over Kallus’ face.

“You alright?” Zeb asked.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Kallus nodded. They were still leaning, like they were caught mid-dance and he was aware of every breath they both took and every place that Zeb was touching him, fingers curled into his side. To be so close, to feel safe and secure in those big arms, made his heart race. He wondered if Zeb could hear it, how loud and fast it was pounding.

“I should-” Zeb started.

“Kiss me.” Kallus breathed out. As soon as he said it, though, he regretted it. He tried to pull away to get some distance between them as he felt his face flush with embarrassment and shame. “Karabast. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Kal?”

He succeeded in righting himself and was trying to step back when he caught a flash of green out of the corner of his eye. The thud of Missy hitting his leg--this time the back of his ankle--caused him to hiss and fall forward. Right into Zeb’s chest.

“Hey, calm down.” Zeb nearly cooed, drawing him closer with a strong hand on the back of his neck. “Just breathe a moment.”

Calming down was not in Kallus’ immediate future. He could feel Zeb’s fur against his cheek and was surrounded by his earthy scent. It was intoxicating to be held in such a way and Kallus desperately wanted more. And yet, at the same time he was still panicking and wanting to run for the door.

“It’s okay, Kal.” Zeb stated. “You don’t have to apologize for anything.”

“I didn’t mean…” He mumbled back, sounding rather pitiful to his own ears.

“Didn’t mean to demand I kiss you?”

Kallus groaned, mortified at his own actions. “It was uncalled for.”

Zeb stroked the back of Kallus’ neck with his claws, gentle but firm. “You know, Lasats don’t really have the same… method… of kissing as humans. We have other ways of showing affection or desire. But I’m game to give it a try if that’s what you want.”

“Give it… a try…? I don’t want a kiss out of pity or curiosity. Just forget I said anything. Let go.” He tried to pull away but Zeb held him firm.

“I want to kiss you, Kal. Not for any of the reasons you just said, but because I like you. I’m attracted to you. Have been for some time. I’ve been hoping that’s mutual.”

For a moment Kallus’ brain short circuited. He took a second to process Zeb’s simple statement as he stilled his attempt to break away from the strong arms holding him to the Lasat’s muscular chest.

“Kal?” Zeb sounded a little concerned, maybe even a little hurt.

“Yes.” Kallus nodded. “It’s mutual. Very much. I like you quite a lot. And I would still like to kiss you. Human or Lasat style. Whichever you prefer.”

“How about both?”

“I can be agreeable to that.”

Zeb chuckled a little as he eased his hold on Kallus and tipped his head back with a finger under the man’s chin. He leaned in to close the distance between them and to press a soft kiss to Kallus’ lips.

Kallus didn’t have a lot of experience with kissing and certainly never a non-human so there were a few moments of sorting out the best angle and figuring out how they fit together, but once they got there, it was bliss. He found himself wrapping his arms around Zeb’s neck, holding tight into the fur, as he explored soft lips with his tongue and opened his mouth to let Zeb explore as well.

There was a moment of weightlessness that Kallus at first thought was some reaction to the extraordinary kiss, but then quickly realized that it was because Zeb had picked him up with ease. There were a few steps and then he was being set down on something firm and metal. From this sitting position--on the crates he figured--he was a little higher than Zeb and could dictate the kiss a little easier. 

He had no concept for how long they stayed like that, pressed close and kissing with great enthusiasm. He didn’t care what time it was either. He wanted to enjoy every moment, taking in every sensation of Zeb’s body close to his, every sound and touch and taste that he could.

Eventually, it was Zeb that pulled back first. Humming in delight, nearly a purr, as he rubbed a cheek along Kallus’ and then down to nuzzle into his neck. He repeated the same action on the other side before pressing his forehead to Kallus’.

“That alright?” He asked.

“Amazing.” Kallus nodded. “I…” He ran a careful hand over Zeb’s shoulder and arm, petting through the soft fur. “I’ve been thinking about that for a long time.”

“Me too.”

They were silent for a moment, simply leaning together and breathing slow.

“I guess we have Missy to thank.” Zeb commented. “We’d have been dancing around that a lot longer without her moving things along.”

“I suspect we have Hera to thank.” Kallus lifted his head to search for the droid, finding her spinning in little circles as she made pleased chirps.“What exactly did she order you to do?”

The little droid made a sound that could almost be interpreted as a giggle.

< _Just a push. Mission complete_ >

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
